Camden Canal Dig next Wednesday and after

I thought I'd open a new topic, so that everyone who might like to join is alerted to this. More details are in the thread "More Camden Possibilities".

Here is the plan:

That's a good plan. Next Wednesday, 28 June, at 7 outside the Inspiral Lounge in Camden.

I cycle up and down the canal every day and have dentified some good spots after the Kentish Town Bridge. I will try and prepare them a bit in advance. Will try and post some pics. So far, things to bring are:

- Gloves- small shovels/garden utensils- Small bags of earth or compost- Lots of wildflower and sunflower seeds or wildflower plants that will grow along side the narrow edges of the canal.

There is also a narrow planter-type construction that is filled with earth and that could take some already-grown flowers and plants, like lavender perhaps and rosemary. Anything that suits a semi-wild natural area like the canal.

We will have to carry everything so best bring it in rucksacks or bags that are easy to carry.

Here is a good place to order wildflower seed mixtures, you can get a big bag for 20 pounds or small ones for ?2.50, they also have conservation/insect focus mixes.

me too! I've found two good sites along the canal, one is a medium raised bed, completely overgrown which will need a lot of work. the other is a narrow bed along a graffitied wall. We definately need some more plants, lavender, sage, rosemary, anything hardy would be good. I've got a couple of pics of the site but looks like the files are a bit large, hm, will try and post. Is anyone else coming?

Really gutted that I missed it, guys. Had problems with the 'reply notification' settings, so didn't realize so much has been going on. But, I'm back in the loop now.How did it go on Wednesday?I've got a Russian Vine that needs a good home along the canal. Plus seed bombs made with wildflower mix and sunflowers. Anybody free for some digging Wed. 4th June? I could pull together some more plants by then if we have some takers.

I'm free on 4th June for another outing to continue improving the site we started on last Wednesday. It still needs some clearing and more plants! We could meet at 7 outside the INpiral Lounge again. Will post photos tomorrow.

7 at Inspiral on Wed 4th it is. I am bringing a friend or two, so it sounds like we may have 4 or 5. I'll try to run by the spot tomorrow for a look. Anybody have suggestions for plants that we still need?

Great, I'll be there. The spot we started work on is a raised bed at the Kentish Town entrance to the Canal. It's heavily overgrown with a couple of bushes that need some cutting back and plenty of weeds. We cleared one area and planted a sage and sowed some wild flowers and Capucine.

Other plants that would be great include anything fairly hardy, perennial and wild-life friendly. There is a rail on one side of the bed, so anything that needs support or is a climber would also fit. I even thought of maybe getting a small berry-bush of some kind.

I should be able to bring -

a geranium and an (smallish) oleanderpeppermint and lemon balmand a couple of margerites or lavenders or so.

last night was great! six of us turned up in all and we set to work on our little patch on the canal (just by the steps by kentish town road)...we planted thyme, lavender, sweetpeas, and other things which i cant remember the name of! next week we will be meeting again at 7 by the inspiral lounge...everyone welcome!!!!

Having a nice big group was really good. The police stopped by to lend their encouragement and warn us about needles. I've got pics, but can't figure out how to load them up (unless it's through the [img] html tag, which I can't be bothered to remember how to do).

Yes great fun and could be the beginning of something big!I'm not cycling along the canal this week and next, as I'm staying with friends and was thinking today: if it does not rain today or tomorrow it would be great if some of the local people could walk by for a quick watering of the newly planted bits...

I am so disappointed that I can't make these Wednesdays, as it is so close to where I live in Kings Cross! I will be free on Wednesday the 18th though, I hope you'll go out again then, or another day that I can make!

It looks like we're getting some rain, but if it's dry tomorrow I will try to pop up there and water them.

They'd make very handy portable watering bottles for anyone who's passing their GG site between digs. A good size for a decent plant watering on a hot day but small and streamlined enough to fit in a rucksack (and they won't leak).

Was great fun returning to the Canal yesterday - we are on to something!

I'm going to post a new message, asking for advice about what kind of plants could go into the shady spot between the shrubs and trees. Also, a woman has answered my old freecycle ad, offering a Hazle Bush (Rich, weren't you discussing something about Hazle yesterday?). I think it's quite a boring plant - what do others think, could the site need it?

Maybe it could go into that other spot, next to the entrance of the Canal, where there's the Clematis. ?

Just to let you know that I was at Columbia Flower Market yesterday and could not resist the amazing deals on offer ? whole trays of plants for 2,3 pounds! So I got a tray of geraniums and one of lupins and planted them onto our site in Camden. I fear that the lupins will be too much of a temptation for thieves and will probably be nicked ? but well, we?ll see. The cleared bits are now pretty full and we probably don?t need any more plants until we?ve cleared more bits ? which I am all up for next Wednesday. Are people around?

Best

Sophia

PS ? other plants had recovered well from the dry spell last week. Some bits had sadly been vandalised ? someone had dug up the lavender but then strangely left It lying there, I dug it in again. Most of the hollyhocks have been broken off (possibly fell down on their own).

We are on for 7PM again at Inspiral this Wednesday, 18th June. Might be useful to have a couple more pairs of gloves, as we didn't have enough to go around last week. Look forward to seeing you all. There will be the customary post-dig drink at the local pub for all that can make it.

looks like I won't make it tonight, as I'm finally moving. As I said, I planted quite a lot on Sunday, so there is a lot of clearing required before there is space for new plants! Unless they've been nicked of course...S

my cycle routine along the canal is up and running again and I stopped this morning to do some weeding - bindweed is encroaching! I'll do some watering on my way back this evening. A woman stopped this morning exclaiming "Is this guerilla gardening??" and seemed happy that it was.

On a sadder note, I again won't make the group-outing tonight, due to the historic Germany-Turkey encounter, which I plan to witness in all its glory! I'll be there again next week and will bring some turf/earth, I think the plants are suffering from the poor soil. Maybe other people can bring some small bags (you can get 5kg ones) and we can dig it in??